Installing a Machifit Quick Change Tool Post on the CJ0618 Lathe and Banggood Tool Post Review 

*Excellent lathe **MyBest.Tools** I started turning pens, and this is a very smooth running lathe. I am glad that I went with a variable speed lathe. It is made of top quality materials and will probably out last me. I highly recommend.*

Seems quite a decent addition within a reasonable budget. I would buy one based on this video. Well done! ;-)

They look very well made. Let's hope they perform as well as they look.

I have this same lathe, so I truly appreciate every video that you do specific to this lathe. I wish you would do one one replacing the gears with metal ones. Thank you!!!

I have this same toolpost on my mini-lathe, and it's one of the best modifications I've made. As you said, it's miles better than the cheap aluminum QCTP's most people seem to use. Better rigidity, better repeatability. Combined with a tool post block (in place of the compound), I've been pretty impressed with the depth of cut I can take.

I have just bought one of these for my ferm md350 lathe and I was worried of how to get around if it didn’t fit straight out of the box thanks for sharing your video I have no worries now god bless

Am enjoying your mini lathe videos. I found a use for that base plate that came with the QCTP. I used it to replace the flimsy locking plate on the the tail stock. It was 44 mm x 40 mm plate and I modified it by cutting off 4 mm off the 44 mm side making it a 40 mm x 40 mm square. Cutting this way will off set the locking shaft to fit the tail stock. Very little jamming because of the close fit.

Nice review Alistair. I use a toolpost that is the exact same design, just branded Bostar, instead of Machifit. I would not be without it! Recommended upgrade for any lathe. Cheers, Craig

Cool these chinese mini lathes look ok thanks for sharing man

Here's a tip. You will get a much better finish with a cutter with a smaller tip radius. The ones you see me using are 0.2mm and will give a mirror finish.

Some addenda: Littlemachineshop has a holder which has a plain 1/2" bore with a sleeve to 3/8" for boring bars; the thread on the fastener that holds everything together is left-handed and a good fit for the step wedge in a mill clamping kit; the leftover stud makes a good replacement for the crude fastener under the tailstock; these posts will accept 1/2" tooling if you mill a little off the top of the cross slide; and, if it's still there, that little detent pulls out easily. I'm particularly impressed with the parting holder; I've parted 2" diameter steel with it.

Thanks for the video. I now know where my order went. still waiting.

Another way I was taught for setting the tool height on a centre lathe is to put a dead centre in the tailstock and use that to shim / adjust the tool until it is level with the centre point. This works well for all types of tool and saves stock (which saves money)

As far as locking the saddle for facing cuts, I always put the feed-screw in neutral and lock the half nut. Works great!

Ordered this and a few holders a few weeks ago, looking forward to the slow boat from China pulling into port.

Thanks for sharing

Good point about the piston type (I have one of those) pushing the tool holder away while the gib type does the opposite. I wish I had bought a gib type but to be honest the piston style works fine for me and the rough and ready jobs I do on my lathe.

Well this advertisement worked on me. Ordered one for my Ferm MFD450.

Add a small needle roller bearing set between the top of the qctp and the tightening handle. You’ll be able to get more clamping force on the tool-post so it doesn’t rotate away from the work if you’re taking a heavier cut. Works great on my Sieg sc4.

I have a very similar QCTP on my Warco Super Mini Lathe. It works beautifully. Very sturdy with great repeatability. The real challenge is deciding what type of tool performs best on these lathes.

Nice to see the extra pair of hands still assisting but he seems to need a safety briefing about shop etiquette towards his co workers!

I just received this one too! But I put it on the Proxxon 250. Yeah it’s a bit large but sure is nicer than the fixed post it came with.

I bought this same QCTP for my lathe although my lathe is little big bigger (Bernardo 500). I thought that OXA/AXA would be the right sizes to fit but still think that AXA is little bit too big for my lathe. Im using 12mm tool holders. It works pretty nice.

I have an identical tool post, but not from matchifit. I suspect they are out of the same factory. I like the tapered tool holder, don’t think I’ve ever seen one. Thanks for sharing. -Joe

I think you will like the Machifit QCTP. This looks like a copy of the style originally designed by Frank Silora, sold under his "ALORIS" brand name. I have a Phase II copy of the Aloris style. Looks similar to yours, but the next size up, AXA for my 12in lathe. My Phase II version locks solid and the height is repeatable. I purchased one of the knurling tool holders, but it puts far more strain on the compound nut. It now collects dust. I like the tool holders with slot with groove on the bottom. Good for square, rectangular or round tools. Dave.

Thanks for your videos about the mini lathe, they where very helpful for me. I ordered one and also a Machifit toolpost with some holders. But I don't know which parting tool/blade to order for the 250-007. Can you recommend a universal parting tool/blade which is good for for steel and aluminum? Especially the needed size would be very interesting. Maybe you even have a link for a fitting one (seller or shop). Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi I just bought similar lathe but I have dificulties understanding how to operate it because I am not a machinest. from your tow videos disassembling and reassembling the minilathe machine I learned a lot and knew how to do adjusting and lubrecating. now I need to know how to make thread. the lathe came with several gears and really I don't know for what they are used. please addvice me. I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advace

try putting a center into the chuck and then lining up the tool tip to the center tip

I got one of these for my mini love it

nice i would like to test one

Great video. Really useful and thanks for the fitting instructions. Looks to be the same type Chronos sell at a kit 50053000. Interestingly they note that the 250-007 parting holder is not really suitable for small lathes as the angle is too much. There is a straight alternative though.

As I am sure you already know the weakest point in these small lathes is rigidity and with my Sieg C6 I have replaced (for 99% of the time) the compound with a solid block of the same height ontop of the cross slide which has the 10mm bolt attached so that the QCTP can fit as normal. However, when I want to part off I then have parting tools firmly attached to the lantern toolpost this makes the cutting forces as close as possible to the 10mm bolt. This makes parting off up to 60mm steel a breeze compared to the old puckered rear end while waiting for the bang and stall as the cutting tool dug in. It is only a matter of undoing the lever nut and swapping out the QCTP for the lantern as everything is already at centre height.

I like more the revolving one that can hold 4 cutting tools.

The Chinese are great in a lot of areas food writing engineering products price I could go on all day lol alot of people just put them down because of some cheap things they sell but it's not always the case.

What is the distance between the top of the compound slide and axis of rotation and how big are your cutting tools. My lathe is very small and there are only 15mm. So with most QCTPs I am very limited in cutter size

Huh... I have a 7x14 and don’t get that shifting of the saddle... 🤔

On handle threads I'll put some blue Loctite so they don't back out all the time, but if I had to remove it's still OK. Don't use Red Loctite)

Hi, I wonder if you or any of your viewers could help me. I need to know the size of the dovetail on the tool holders for this toolpost. I have lots of tool holders for the aluminum pushrod type toolpost and was hoping that I could convert them to fit this if I bought one. The pushrod one took a 25mm dovetail cutter to produce the exact size on the tool holders.

Hi, thanks for the video -- why did you buy the Sieg Copy, which is 499 from ebay, instead of the real Sieg, which is available for 80 quid more from arceurotrade? Genuine question, I've been pondering getting a C2 or a C3, and I've heard loads of horror stories from the chinese version -- so what convinced you to go for that one? Is there something I'm missing? Also you mentioned "problems" with yours, have you documented these somewhere? Thanks!

I'm having problems with using the proxxon live center.. the live center keeps getting loose from the workpiece... also, when I put more pressure on the live center it is able to move the workpiece deeper into the chuck.. Do you have any tips?

Nice. Have you tried this toolpost on the proxxon lathe? Would it fit?

Would I be able to use 12mm tools with this post? Thanks Mitch

That LEGO skit at the end cracked me up 😂

I have come to the conclusion that after watching many videos on the 'tube there is a desperate need for a listing in electronic format..... to compare the various lathes, mills and tool peripherals like QCTP's, carbide inserts and most tool holders in various configurations that most people on BANGGOOD, EBAY, AND AMAZON spend lots of money on. I have always thought that a loose leaf folder that gets added to and upgraded with the variety of tooling as time goes by would do the trick, but paper seems to build into a huge Bible like volume that loses itself and smothers the content by variety of pages without an index. I suppose it would just degenerate into a catalogue once the tool perveyors get in on the act, but what the heck, a catalogue usually depicts the tool in all it's glory and you can judge for yourself......just thinking, as I've gone down this path many times before and paper does accumulate by the ream so a digital file of engineering paraphanalia would be the one place to go to for all your needs. Compiling one would take ages and you wouldn't be able to have the comparison of variety to peruse if you didn't have access to the info etc.

you should really consider using HSS tools for a lathe that small. you'll never get good finishes with carbide tooling on such a small and slow lathe...

Dose it fits your Proxxon lathe?

I hope no little red men were harmed during filming!

I think your Allen wrenches cost more than your lathe. 😁

Probably could have lived without watching you open the packages. .

Yes they might send you a free be..but if you buy from them and get the wrong size they won't take it back unless you pay almost 50% of the cost in return fees ..I wouldn't Buy anything from them now..